KIRKUS REVIEW

In a foreword to these 36 tales, Gordon Snell notes that his
wife, who died in 2012, “was always full of stories” that she typed “at
breakneck speed.” This selection, he says, represents just part of her output,
hinting that more volumes are to come, good news for readers who love Binchy’s
take on familiar domestic dramas among women and their friends, lovers,
husbands, children, and assorted relatives in contemporary Ireland. Marriage is
a recurring theme: some women want to find a husband, which often happens when
they least expect it; others want to hold onto the husband they have, such as
Bella, who decides that if she just loses a lot of weight, “dramatically,” Jim
will not marry his young lover, who she imagines is “a skinny little thing,” and
she and Jim will live happily ever after. In the world Binchy gently recounts,
men are always tempted, and women need to be on their guards. In “Big Decisions
in Brussels,” Maura’s aunt advises her to read her handsome husband’s letters
and “go through his pockets.” That strategy, Maura reflects, has enabled her
“to head off some mild flirtations in the past” by arranging family diversions
“when a little adventure was looming.” Even beautiful 28-year-old Laura knows
she can’t trust her wealthy older husband, “the tycoon.” Any relationships—whether
between spouses, friends, or family—are fragile; it’s better to keep silent and
hide unhappiness, even from oneself. When the unmarried 30-somethings Miss
McCarthy and Mr. Blake go out for dinner, “by no glance did they let the other
know that this was something...[that] might become big.” Some stories are
developed enough to impart quiet wisdom; others, though, are mere sketches,
with one-dimensional characters and pat, trite resolutions.

The best reflect Binchy’s warmhearted sympathy for yearning and
regret.

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